History and Culture

History of Broken Arrow Residential Treatment Services
Broken Arrow Residential Treatment Services opened in December 2004 as a residential treatment program licensed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services in Ontario. Broken Arrow specializes in Treatment Foster Care and opened with approximately twenty youth placed in ten different foster homes.

Since then, Broken Arrow has grown to accommodate as many as sixty youth ranging in age from new-borns to young adults. Broken Arrow has foster homes all over the province of Ontario from Thunder Bay to North Bay, Peterborough, Cobourg, London, and Kingston and is continuing to expand geographically.

Broken Arrow has worked with many child welfare agencies in Ontario. They have also worked with many First Nation/Inuit/Metis communities across Canada.

Broken Arrow provides a broad range of services to the foster homes, including a roster of support workers who work directly with youth and foster parents to meet the complex needs of the youth.

This team of workers provides around the clock emergency support by phone as well as emergency response service for crisis.

The Clinical Director has been involved in residential treatment for over thirty years and has been involved with treatment foster care as specialty since 1990.

Broken Arrow has a Clinical Manager supervising each foster home as well as a team of professionals including a Resource Manager, consulting Psychologist, consulting Art Therapist, a Clinical Consultant, Clinical Support Workers and other professional supports who contribute to developing, delivering and maintaining the individual treatment plans.

Broken Arrow personnel also work with the families and in the communities of the youth placed, in partnership with the placing agencies.

Most recently, Broken Arrow has been active in program development and have been involved throughout the country in providing training and assisting others in developing services for youth and families.

What's in a Name?

One of the most common questions asked of Broken Arrow personnel is, “How did the name come about?”

Andy Leggett, the Clinical Director of Broken Arrow and co-founder, was responsible for the unusual name.

“I am often asked if the name came from one of many songs with Broken Arrow as a part of the title and/or lyric”, responded Mr. Leggett. “And, although it is partially true, I just thought that the idea of a “Broken Arrow” was a wonderful metaphor for the youth with whom we work. Once an arrow is broken, it is never really fixed. But we can repair an arrow to fly again. And there is nothing more beautiful in flight than a broken arrow. I think it describes the work we do with the youth and families very well.”

Mission Statement
To provide treatment services to children and youth within a group of specialized therapeutic homes that foster the growth and development of the individual to achieve their optimum potential.

Vision
To improve the health and well-being of the children and youth in our care.

Core Values

Respect
Everyone has the right to have their needs and challenges met

Support
Working together as a team to achieve goals

Morals/Ethics
We do what is right even though it is not always the easiest choice

Diversity
Regardless of where they come from and how it has shaped them, we will meet their needs